William Butler, one of five brothers who
participated in the Revolutionary war, who became famous for his exploits
against the Seneca Indians, was born on January 6, 1745 in Ireland.Sometime
before the 1770s,Butler's father moved the family to Pennsylvania.
On June 8, 1776, Butler participated in his first battle at Trois Riveres,
Located near Montreal Canada. It was the first battle that only the Pennsylvania
line would participate. Here the Americans were defeated by The British general
Sir Guy Carleton,who were on their way to Quebec to begin a siege operation. The
Americans were defeated mainly due to the superior British artillery,and were
forced to retreat.
At Brandywine( Sept 11,1777), Butler led a Pennsylvania regiment, who for three
hours kept the Hessian General Knyphausen, from performing a frontal assault
across Chad Ford. When Washington realized he was being outflanked by
Cornwallis, Washington sent the Pa line to Birmingham house, only then was
Knyphausen able to cross Chad Ford. By the end of the battle, Knyphausen had
captured four battalions of American Prisoners.
At Monmouth( June 28, 1778), Butler fought under the command of Anthony Wayne.
At the start of the battle, American General Charles Lee ordered Wayne to Charge
the British campsite at Monmouth courthouse. The attack was so successful, that
British General Clinton was forced to send in the Queen's Rangers to resist
Wayne and the Pennsylvanians. Lee was soon forced to retreat, leaving Wayne and
the Pennsylvanians, the only regiment on the field. Wayne fought bravely until
forced back by the British 16th Light Dragoons.
Washington then showed up on the field of battle, and brought some order to
the American line. Washington ordered Wayne to his tight near an Orchard. During
this phase of the battle. British Colonel Monocton ordered a bayonet charge
against Wayne's men. Monocton was killed in the charge when Wayne's men fired a
volley into the charging British line. at Monmouth, Wayne had shown that the
Pennsylvania line could stand the shock of Cavalry and the bayonet charge.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, the other Pennsylvania regiments fought bravely
also. Lt. Col. Dummer was killed while leading a Pennsylvania regiment to
check a detatchment of British soldiers from attempting to out flank the
American Left. Col Aaron Burr had his horse hot out from under him while
attacking a British column located on a hill. Burr would also suffer a stroke
during the battle due to the heat of over 100 degrees.
In October 1778, Butler, led an expedition against the Seneca Indians. During
this campaign the Indian villages of Unadilla and Anaguaga were burned down to
the ground as a reprisal for the Wyoming valley massacres that occurred in
Pennsylvania a few months earlier. In April 1779, Butler attacked the camp of
the Onandagas, an Iroquois tribe. The Onandagas sided with the British after
this attack. In August 1779, Butler joined the Sullivan expedition which
participated in the burning of over forty seneca Indian Villages, and defeated
them at the battle of Newtown ny( Aug 29 1779)when the Iroquois tribe was
outflanked by Col. Matthias Ogden.
In January 1781, Butler was attacked by his own men during the jockey hill
mutiny.. In December 1780, the Pennsylvania line was quartered at Jockey hill
NJ, located near Morristown NJ for the winter quarters. Wayne had written a
letter to the Secretary of war board in July 1778 complaining that his men were
almost naked due to the tattered uniforms. On December 16, 1780,over two years
later, Wayne wrote a letter to the Continental Congress stating his men were the
worst poorly clothed and poorly fed of any regiment in the Continental army. The
Pennsylvania line had not received any pay in the past 12 months.
On January 2, 1781, the Pennsylvania line mutinied. The mutineers chased
Butler into a nearby hut trying to kill him. the mutineers marched to Princeton
NJ where they met with the Continental President. Continental President Reed
promised pay if they would end the mutiny. The Mutineers marched to Ringwood NJ
where they were arrested by Washington. Washington had the ring leaders of the
mutiny arrested and hanged.
Butler retired from the army after the mutiny, and moved back to
Pennsylvania where he died in 1789. Lafayette made the comment after his funeral
"that if he wanted something well done, he ordered a Butler to do it."
In the 1790's most of Butler's family moved to Kentucky. Two of William's
brother's and his son joined the kentucky militia and fought with Wayne at
Fallen Timbers OH in 1794 At Fallen Timbers, Wayne defeated the Shawnee chief
Blue Jacket. Wayne would later comment that the Kentucky militia made the
difference in winning the battle.